SATURDAY, 9 APRIL 2016 >MAJOR= PLAYER IN OKA SHO STORMY ANTARCTIC SET Having tasted defeat only once in her five-race career, Major TO WARM UP IN CRAVEN Emblem (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) is strictly the one to beat in Sunday=s G1 Oka Sho over the metric mile at Hanshin Racecourse. The comfortable winner of her first two starts at two last season, the chestnut filly tasted defeat for the first and only time in her career in the G3 Artemis S. at Tokyo last October, going down narrowly at the hands of 81-1 Denko Ange (Jpn) (Meisho Samson {Jpn}). The filly=s backers refused to lose confidence, however, and made her the 3-2 favorite for the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies Dec. 13 and she duly obliged to defeat Win Fabulous (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) by two lengths, with Blanc Bonheur (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) a further 1 1/4 lengths back in third. Oka Sho preview cont. p6 Ed Walker | Emma Berry GRADE I EXTRAVAGANZA STATESIDE Newmarket=s key Classic trials get underway at the three-day Keeneland, Aqueduct and Santa Anita each stage their Grade Craven meeting from next Tuesday, with local trainer Ed Walker I preps for the GI Kentucky Derby on a giant day of racing set to put an exciting colt to the test in Thursday=s G3 Novae across the country Saturday afternoon. Bloodstock Insurance Craven S. Click or tap here to go straight to TDN America. Stormy Antarctic (GB) (Stormy Atlantic) posted consecutive wins at Sandown and Newbury last August and September before ending his juvenile campaign in exciting fashion when beaten just a head by the Aidan O=Brien-trained Johannes Vermeer (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Criterium International over 10 furlongs at Saint-Cloud. The pair could well meet again on the Rowley Mile next week as they both feature among the 14 entries for the ,60,000 Craven, which also include Highclere Thoroughbred Racing=s Foundation (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), winner of the G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge S. over course and distance last September. Walker, who hopes to have his first Classic runner with Stormy Antarctic, issued a positive bulletin on his colt=s progress on Friday, saying, AThe winter couldn=t have gone any better for Stormy Antarctic--he looks fantastic and is really forward in his coat. He did a very nice piece of work this morning under George Baker, who will ride him in the Craven S.@ Stormy Antarctic cont. p2 TDN EUROPE/INTERNATIONAL $ PAGE 2 of 6 $ THETDN.COM THURSDAY, 7 APRIL 2016 Stormy Antarctic cont. from p1 Bred to be a miler, Red Rum dead-heated over five furlongs at The trainer continued, AHe has grown up a lot but we know Aintree as a 2-year-old when the course still held Flat meetings, that he will improve for the race--this is just the start of a long but it was the National that transformed him from being just year for him. The step back up in trip to a mile will play to his another Thoroughbred into a horse for the ages. The winner in advantage although in due course I do see him as a 10-furlong 1972 and '73, he was runner-up the following two years before horse. If he runs well, we will have to give the QIPCO 2000 returning at the age of 12 in 1977 to record his historic third Guineas strong consideration even though it comes up quickly victory in the race for Ginger McCain, who combined training enough, just 16 days later. It=s the first time in my career that I horses on the nearby Southport sands with running a used-car have had a realistic Classic contender and I=m very excited about showroom. him.@ There'll never be another National story quite like the one written by Red Rum, but there have been plenty of enthralling installments along the way: the Queen Mother's Devon Loch collapsing on the run-in with Dick Francis aboard, Bob Champion IT=S NOT JUST NATIONAL DAY, BUT and Aldaniti overcoming cancer and injury to triumph in 1981, the IRA bomb scare at the 150th National, and the all-out slog INTERNATIONAL DAY by Emma Berry through the mud which saw Red Marauder return the first of We may have had 2-year-olds breezing up the Ascot home only four finishers in 2001. The characters interwoven in the straight along with upbeat and downbeat bulletins of various race's history are equally memorable. Captain Becher, whose fall Classic contenders, but this week in England we haven't quite in the ditch in the inaugural race of 1839 gave his name to the fully surrendered to the Flat season. most famous fence on the course, the feared Becher's Brook; For the switch-hitters among us, who make the purists the Duke of Albuquerque, the Spanish gentleman rider who shudder by loving the rangey beasts of the National Hunt game broke many bones in repeated unsuccessful attempts at glory; every bit as much as and not forgetting the most celebrated trainer of our time, the bluebloods of Vincent O'Brien, who sent out three Grand National winners in a summer, the rather row between 1953-55 before concentrating on dominating the important matter of Flat scene. Aintree has been Most people who love jump racing will have a cherished occupying our National story--a particular favourite of mine being the reported thoughts ever since pessimistic advice given to his jockeys by trainer Captain Tim the roar of Forster, which was simply, "Keep remounting." Cheltenham subsided. These days, of course, jockeys aren't allowed to remount Many Clouds (near) shoots for second Though there's much mid-race, and it is one of many positive changes made, along straight win in the Grand National more to Aintree's with lowering some of the fences and lessening the drop at Racing Post photo three-day meeting Becher's Brook, to reduce the risks to the horses. Diehard fans than just the may say the National is not what it used to be. That's true, but ,1-million Crabbie's Grand National, the Liverpool track is it's not what it used to be in a good way. For this observer, it's synonymous with the unique 4 1/4-mile contest which was last still a white-knuckle ride even from the ground, and to walk the year watched by more than 500 million viewers in over 140 course remains an awe-inspiring pilgrimage, completed with a different countries. At 5.15pm, the tapes will fly, to give one of pause by the winning line to pay respects to Red Rum, where he 40 staying chasers the chance to wear the badge of honour has lain since his death in 1995 at the age of 30. earned by winning the world's most famous steeplechase. For the first time in many years, I am not at Aintree today. Only one horse has ever won the race three times, and if it Even typing those words prompts a moment of gut-wrenching wasn't for Red Rum (Ire) (Quorum {Ire}), it's doubtful that I'd regret. For there are many equally important race days for those ever have followed a path into racing. As a pony-mad child in of us who follow the sport day in and day out, but National day the mid-1970s, it was impossible not to be seduced by that is the only time I can guarantee that non-racing friends and perky bay with the sheepskin noseband who loved Aintree as family will text me for a tip in the morning, or have a ,2 lucky much as the Aintree faithful loved him. He alone is responsible dip in their office sweepstake. Quite simply, it's the one day for my descent from interested bystander to racing obsessive, when the world is watching our sport, not National day but and for the involuntary tears at the annual replay of his International day. Cont. p3 unparalleled third triumph. TDN EUROPE/INTERNATIONAL $ PAGE 3 of 6 $ THETDN.COM THURSDAY, 7 APRIL 2016 Emma Berry cont. The bay is also kin to the 2-year-old colt Beedaa (Ire) (Dream Last year's morning-of-race course walk took place in the Ahead), a 200,000gns TATOCT purchase last year, and a yearling company of fellow journalist Marcus Armytage, the last amateur filly by Kodiac (GB). Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $13,573. Video, rider to have won the race when he and Mr Frisk (GB) (Bivouac sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. {GB}) zipped round in 1990 to set a course record which they sill O-Rick Barnes; B-Mountarmstrong Stud (IRE); T-Martyn Meade. hold today. Marcus may have hung up his boots, but Mr Frisk's trainer, Kim Bailey, has been enjoying a resurgence in his career 5th-LEI, ,4,500, Cond, 4-8, 2yo, 5fT, 1:06.75, hy. in recent seasons and has a leading contender for this year's +STERLING SILVA (IRE) (c, 2, Sakhee=s Secret {GB}--Silicon Star race in The Last Samuri (Ire) (Flemensfirth). The 2015 winner {Fr}, by Starborough {GB}), a i70,000 TISEP yearling, was Many Clouds (Ire) (Cloudings {Ire}) returns in a bid to become shuffled back to race in a handy fourth after the initial the first horse since Red Rum to win back-to-back Nationals, exchanges of this first go. Niggled along in patches, the 7-4 while owner JP McManus, who won the race in 2010 with Don't second favourite=s inexperience was exposed when veering right Push It (Ire) (Old Vic {GB}), has no fewer than four chances this making his challenge inside the eighth pole, but he soon found time around.